The present invention relates to lighting systems and, more particularly, to rail lighting systems in which lighting fixtures are secured to a rail.
A rail lighting system includes a rail mounted on a supporting surface, such as a wall, a ceiling, or the bottom of a cabinet, for example. The rail provides support for lighting fixtures and includes electrical conductors for supplying electric power to the lighting fixtures. Known rail lighting systems include rails that can be bent to accommodate a corner, for example. Rail lighting systems may use low voltage lighting fixtures having 12-volt or 24-volt lamps, for example, by including a 110-volt step down transformer that provides 12 volts or 24 volts to the rail.
Rail lighting systems typically include adapters to secure the lighting fixtures to the rail and to provide for electrical connection between electrical conductors of the rail and the lighting fixture. Known adapters have an opening for receiving the rail of a rail lighting system, and support electrically conductive contacts adjacent the opening to provide a current path connecting the rail to the lighting fixtures.
The rail provides desirable flexibility in the placement of lighting fixtures. The locations of the lighting fixtures may be adjusted by attaching the adapter at various points along the rail. To ensure a reliable current pathway through the adapter, however, it is necessary that a firm connection be made between the electrical contacts of the adapter and the rail. In known rail lighting systems, the contacts are mounted within the adapter such that compressive force is created to hold the contacts to the rail. In such systems, the attachment of the adapter onto the rail can result in scratching of the rail surface by the contacts.
The present invention provides an adapter for securing a lighting fixture to the rail of a rail lighting system. The adapter includes a body having an opening for receiving the rail of a rail lighting system. The adapter further includes first and second electrically conductive contact members supported by the body. Each of the contact members includes an elongated portion adjacent the opening having a length sufficient to contact a respective electrical conductor of the rail of a rail lighting system received in the opening. The adapter also includes a wedge that is insertable into the body. The wedge has respective first and second members dimensioned to contact the elongated portions of the electrically conductive contact members when the wedge is fully inserted into the body. The contact between the wedge and the contact members resulting in movement of the elongated portions of the contact members toward the respective electrical conductors of the rail.
The present invention also provides a rail lighting system having a rail. The system includes at least one adapter constructed as described in the preceding paragraph. The rail of rail lighting system is received in the opening of each of the adapters. The rail lighting system further includes a lighting fixture secured to each of the adapters. Each lighting fixture includes conductors extending from the lighting fixture and electrically connected to the contact members of one of the adapters.
The present invention further provides a spring clip for a lighting fixture. The spring clip includes first and second pairs of opposite tangs. The first pair of tangs is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the second pair of tangs. The first pair of tangs includes substantially V-shaped end portions for engagement with a notched base of a lamp. The second pair of tangs includes curved end portions for engaging a correspondingly curved portion of a lamp containment barrier.